COP19

COP19
Name	19th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC
Other names	Warsaw Climate Change Conference
Date	11–23 November 2013
Location	Warsaw, Poland
Participants	Parties to the UNFCCC, observer organizations, non-governmental organizations
Preceded by	18th Conference of the Parties (2012)
Followed by	20th Conference of the Parties (2014)

COP19

The 19th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC convened in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 23 November 2013. Delegates from Parties such as United States, China, European Union, India, and Brazil joined negotiators from intergovernmental bodies including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Meteorological Organization alongside representatives from Greenpeace International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and indigenous organizations. The conference aimed to advance the multilateral process launched by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC toward a legal instrument in Paris and to address mechanisms for mitigation, adaptation, finance, and loss and damage.

Background

The meeting followed the outcomes of the 2012 UN Climate Change Conference in Doha and the timetable set by the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action established at the 2011 UN Climate Change Conference in Durban. States arrived under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol and negotiations toward a post-2020 agreement referenced earlier work from the Cancún Agreements and the Bali Action Plan. Scientific inputs drew on assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national communications submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat.

Venue and Participants

The conference was hosted at the National Stadium in Warsaw with delegates from nearly all Parties to the UNFCCC, including developed members of the OECD and developing members of the G77 and China. High-level attendees included ministers from Poland, delegations from Germany, United Kingdom, France, and representatives of regional blocs like the African Group and the Alliance of Small Island States. Observers included international institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and civil society actors like 350.org and the Sierra Club.

Negotiations and Key Outcomes

Negotiations focused on a workplan toward a 2015 legal instrument, modalities for the Green Climate Fund replenishment, and mechanisms addressing Loss and damage. Parties produced the Warsaw outcomes that advanced technical workstreams and set timelines for intended nationally determined contributions to be further specified by Paris 2015. The meeting reinforced processes related to the Technology Mechanism linked to the Climate Technology Centre and Network and established safeguards for transparency under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.

National Commitments and Finance

Discussions on finance emphasized contributions to the Green Climate Fund and scaling mobilization of climate finance from multilateral development banks, including the World Bank Group and the European Investment Bank. Developed Parties referenced commitments under the Cancún Agreements to mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020, while developing Parties such as China and India highlighted differentiation under the Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities principle. Several Parties presented biennial update reports and nationally determined contributions roadmaps; mechanisms for technical review were advanced through the Subsidiary Body for Implementation.

Scientific and Environmental Impacts

The conference incorporated scientific briefings referencing findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and observational data from the Global Climate Observing System. Discussions highlighted impacts documented in reports by the United Nations Environment Programme and modeled by institutions such as the Met Office and NASA regarding sea-level rise, extreme weather, and carbon budget trajectories. Emphasis was placed on adaptation measures for vulnerable regions like the Pacific Islands Forum states and the Least Developed Countries to address projected shifts in precipitation and temperature patterns.

Controversies and Criticism

The Warsaw meeting drew criticism from activist groups including Friends of the Earth and Extinction Rebellion for perceived slow progress on mitigation and finance, and for the continued reliance on market mechanisms linked to the Clean Development Mechanism. Delegates and analysts from think tanks such as the Grantham Research Institute and the World Resources Institute debated the adequacy of the Warsaw outcomes. Controversy also arose over discussions on emissions targets by major emitters like the United States and China and over procedural issues raised by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas and the Bolivia delegation concerning sovereignty and indigenous rights.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences Category:2013 conferences Category:2013 in Poland